Enough mamlatdars for tenancy cases: Khaunte

the goan I network
PANAJI

Speaking during a discussion on a resolution move by opposition legislators led by Pratapsingh Rane seeking that the government appoint additional mamlatdars to clear the backlog of tenancy and mundkar cases since the government is referring the cases from the civil courts to the executive magistrates, Khaunte said that with many services now being IT enabled, the mamlatdars had more free time to hear tenancy cases.
"Even now the sanctioned strength is 53 and the strength is 51 as two are reserved and candidates could not be found. We have had a 30-35% rise in the number of mamlatdars over the last five years," Khaunte said.
He said that the backlog of cases was not as high as it is being claimed.
"In Salcete the total pending tenancy cases is 384 and in Pernem the total is 104," Khaunte said.
"With the introduction of IT solution and simplification of procedures workload of officers has reduced. As of today present mamlatdar strength is good. The government knows and is aware. The intent of the government is clear," Khaunte said.
Earlier several legislators, including Luizinho Faleiro, Dayanand Sopte and Reginaldo Lourenço, raised issues plaguing tenants and mundkars.
Faleiro sought that trained mamlatdars be appointed and that the government amend the Act to ensure that there is a time frame for the cases to be completed given that cases continue for years on end and from one generation to the next.
"We need to appoint officers who are trained and designated to dispose of cases. We have to give them a time frame. Presently the authorities are not in a position to dispose the cases," he said.
He also raised the issue of the fate of the cases that are part heard or at final stages in the civil courts. "Are they going to be argued again? Most tenanted lands are lying fallow," Faleiro said.
Lourenço chided the government for bringing the amendments in the first place saying that they should have listened back then.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on the other hand questioned whether the tenants who have lost cases while they were being heard in the civil courts could
file them again once they
are taken back to the mamlatdar. Curchorem legislator Nilesh Cabral on the other hand felt that the present government was going back on its amendments brought five years back under duress.
"How many years after this act should this act remain. For 1,500 people who cannot get their rights there must be 3,000 who have converted their land or who are not in a position to cultivate the land. Their children do not want to cultivate them now. For how many more generation you require the tenancy act?" Cabral asked.
"Once the land is tenanted you cannot do anything with it. You can't sell it or give it to someone else to cultivate. We need to ask ourselves what is the reason for the lands lying fallow. It is a decision under duress," Cabral said.
"It is a decision under pressure. Let minister bring to the House, how many cases that people are actually losing not just for political reasons," Cabral said.
Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said he would take it up once the amendment bill is being discussed in
the house.